KS2 Maths reasoning (SATs) textbook

Chapter 6: Position and coordinates

  • Strand Geometry: position and direction
  • Level Year 6
  • Practice 88 questions with step-by-step solutions

KS2 SATs practice for reasoning (Year 6). Original questions in the style of the national tests. Content: Describe positions on a full coordinate grid with all four quadrants (Year 6), Draw and translate simple shapes on a coordinate plane (Year 6), Reflect shapes in the axes and in lines such as x = 3 (Year 6), Identify, describe and represent the position of a shape after a reflection or translation, and know that the shape has not changed (Year 5-6), Find missing coordinates of vertices of a shape and of a shape's centre (Year 6), Solve problems with compass directions and turns, and use the language of position to give and follow instructions (Year 5-6).

Open Year 6 chapter

By the end of this chapter you will be able to

  • Read and write the coordinates of a point in any quadrant
  • Translate a shape by a given move and write the new coordinates
  • Reflect a shape in the x-axis, the y-axis or a line such as x = 3
  • Find a missing corner or the centre of a rectangle from its coordinates
  • Follow and give compass directions and quarter turns

You should already know

  • Coordinates in the first quadrant (Year 5 geometry)
  • Negative numbers on a number line (Chapter 1 of this book)

Where this leads

  • Measures in context (Chapter 4 of this book) and statistics (Chapter 8 of this book)

Lessons in this chapter

  1. 6.1 Coordinates in four quadrants
  2. 6.2 Translating shapes
  3. 6.3 Reflecting shapes in axes and lines
  4. 6.4 Missing coordinates and the centre of a shape
  5. 6.5 Compass directions, turns and instructions
  6. Summary and key words
  7. Check-up and practice test questions

Read the whole chapter on one page (good for printing).

Practise with real exam questions

The DfE publishes every past KS2 test, with mark schemes, for free.

KS2 Maths reasoning (SATs) past papers